Public participation in the implementation of the Natura 2000 network in Italy: the stakeholders’ experiences

Abstract

IntroduzioneLa rete Natura 2000 è una rete ecologica istituita nei paesi dell'Unione Europea (UE) agli inizi degli anni '90 del secolo scorso. La rete ecologica è stata istituita con la Direttiva 92/43/CEE "Habitat" e dalla Direttiva 79/409/CE "Uccelli", quest'ultima recentemente abrogata e sostituita integralmente dalla Direttiva 2009/147/CE, con il fine prioritario di salvaguardare nel lungo periodo la biodiversità mediante la conservazione degli habitat naturali e seminatura- Consequently, each country has adopted a different participatory strategy taking into account the principles of integration approach. The integration approach is based on combining human activities and nature conservation purposes in the same area or, at least, in areas in close proximity. In Italy, the implementation of Natura 2000 network was developed at local level (Regions and Autonomous Provinces) using different approaches and procedures. Starting from these considerations, the aim of the study was to analyse the stakeholders' involvement process during the implementation of Habitats Directive in Italy and the management of Natura 2000 sites. This study was realized using three main criteria with the respective indicators: (1) inclusiveness of participatory process; (2) democracy of participatory process; (3) cooperation and conflicts during the implementation process of Natura 2000 network. The data were collected through the administration by email of a semi-structured questionnaire to 56 stakeholders divided in four main groups of interest (public administrations, universities and research centres, environmental associations, private organizations). The results of the survey show that the participatory process was characterized by a low level of inclusiveness despite the existence of some best practices at local level. In many cases, the decisions were taken by a low number of stakeholders -mostly public administrations -while the individuals of local community were only informed. Conversely, the results highlights as positive aspect the increasing level of trust among stakeholders after the Natura 2000 network implementation process.

Hindrances to Effective Implementation of the Habitats Directive in Italy: Regional Differences in Designating Special Areas of Conservation

“…It is worth remarking that, in this article, only the documented implementation of the participatory processes was analyzed. Two recent works [21,22] have proposed an assessment of the participatory processes carried out in some Italian regions; by surveying a small group of stakeholders, the authors have examined issues of inclusiveness, democracy, and conflicts concerning Natura 2000 management and planning, and have argued that only selected stakeholder groups were involved and that information, rather than participation, often took place, seldom allowing for effective integration of local knowledge within MPs. Hence, the authors have examined (not randomly or systematically, but through a snowball sampling technique) stakeholders' perceptions concerning their participation in the making of MPs, while this work has proposed a systematic assessment of official documents that have recorded such participation.…”

“…As for process evaluation, a number of interdisciplinary studies analyzed the establishment of the Natura 2000 network [16,17], its management [18], participation processes [19][20][21][22], and conflicts [23,24].…”

Public trust thinking and public ownership of wildlife in Italy and the United States

“…Recent attempts at more participatory public engagement have been criticized as ineffective or skewed in terms of breadth of public interests (Paletto, Graziani, Brescancin, & De Meo, 2017). Representation on subprovincial dimensions area committees is also vulnerable to bias, because one committee member could claim to represent several interests.…”

“…Problems of power and special interest dominance inhibit wildlife governance throughout Europe and North America Newig & Fritsch, 2009;Paloniemi et al, 2015). For example, a lack of standardized measurement, consultation, and participation procedures allowed special interests to exert disproportionate influence when planning and managing protected areas in Italy and other European countries (Apostolopoulou, Drakou, & Pediaditi, 2012;Buono, Pediaditi, & Carsjens, 2012;Paletto et al, 2017).…”

Management and Perception of Metropolitan Natura 2000 Sites: A Case Study of La Mandria Park (Turin, Italy)

“…In 2018, the EU Commission focuses on Article 6 (92/43/EEC), indicating the importance of management plans in Natura 2000 sites, with the involvement of stakeholders [5]. This participatory approach to decision making in Natura 2000 sites is essential [6], with the aim of conserving habitat biodiversity and ensuring proper local economic development [7]. It should take into account the knowledge and the needs of users of Natura 2000 sites [8,9], integrating social and ecological aspects in the management plans [10].…”